Chapter 2

The knocks boomed at my bedroom door.

I scrambled out of my bed, sleepy but alert as someone tried to open the door. It didn't work. I had a chair under the door handle.

I looked to Silver, who just appeared beside me as I hissed at him, "Who is it?"

"Dumbledore's lot, " He said. "They're taking you and Harry tonight."

"Me?"

"Yes," His voice sounded rough and he answered my question before I even asked. "You need to go with them."

I frowned. I didn't know these people. Why should I go with complete strangers? I didn't care that Harry knew them. I didn't.

Silver snapped his fingers and made the chair fly from the door and back to its position at the desk. The door opened, revealing a purple-haired woman with a sheepish smile.

"Evening," She said, quickly coming into my room. "I'm Tonks. I'm one of Harry's friends. I'm here to help you pack."

I blinked at her before shoving past her and into the hallway.

"Harry!" I shouted and heard people downstairs.

I went down there, almost running as I stopped at the living room full of people. There were too many people.

"Where's my brother?" I demanded, watching as they parted to reveal a dressed Harry. "What's happening? Why are they here?"

"They're here to take me back," He said.

One of them, one disfigured with a chunk missing from his nose, shook his head with a grumble, "Not anymore. We're taking you both."

Silver whispered to me that his name was Mad-Eye Moody. He quickly introduced everyone in the group to me and I quickly put that to memory.

"Not until you tell me what's happening," I told Moody. "I'm not going with a group of complete strangers when Dementors were sent after Harry the other week."

"Dementors, you know about them?" Moody asked.

"Yes. Harry's told me all about his life at Hogwarts,"

"Good, good. It'll be easier to explain then," He said. "The Ministry thinks you ain't a Squib. You might've not gotten your letter but it doesn't mean you don't have Magic."

Shacklebolt started next, "At Harry's hearing, they're going to assess you too, see if you need teaching or if it was a one-off event. Having a Squib after a Muggleborn is very unusual so the chances are that you'll have to attend Hogwarts or receive private teaching."

"I'm too tired for this shit," I rubbed my hands down my face. "I'm not going in my pyjamas."

"Quickly now," Moody said. "We're leaving in a few minutes after the coast is clear."

"I'll help her pack," Remus Lupin said, following me up the stairs.

I got to my room and saw Tonks trying to use Magic to pack up my belongings. I interrupted her, tossing everything out of whatever small bag she chose and brought up my duffle bag. I put everything I needed, underwear, socks, trousers, tops, and even an extra pair of shoes.

I politely told them to get out while I changed. I dressed in simple jeans and a dark T-shirt, pulling on a thin jacket over it. I shoved my toothbrush and toothpaste into my bag using them, grabbing my sunglasses and hanging them on the neckline of my shirt.

Walking downstairs with my duffel bag, I found they were all waiting.

"Excellent," Lupin said. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry —"

"They won't," Harry and I said at the same time.

"Come here," Lupin gestured for me but smiled, "I don't bite."

"Much," Moody snickered and Lupin sent a look to him.

I walked over.

"I need to Disillusion you."

"You need to what?"

"Disillusionment Charm," He said. "It'll disguise you while we fly."

"Fly?" I asked. "Brooms?"

"Of course, you've never been on a broom before,"

I frowned, "I didn't think I'd have the need."

He tapped the top of my head with his wand, making a strange sensation come over my body.

"Come on," Moody said and unlocked the back door. We all stepped outside onto the beautifully kept lawn.

He tutted, "Clear night. Could've done with a bit more cloud cover. Right, you," he barked at Harry, "we're going to be flying in close formation. Tonks'll be right in front of you, keep close on her tail. I'm going to be behind you. The rest'll be circling us. We don't break ranks for anything, got me? If one of us is killed —"

"Is that likely?" Harry asked apprehensively,

Moody ignored him. "— the others keep flying, don't stop, don't break ranks. If they take out all of us and you survive, Harry, the rear guard are standing by to take over; keep flying east and they'll join you. And you," He pointed to me. "You're riding with Lupin. You've never ridden and he's the steadiest flyer."

Mounting the brooms was awkward but I held on as Lupin set off.

The air rushed through my air, cold but welcome as we began to fly, leaving Privet Drive.

It was… nice.

Feeling the air, seeing the way we went up and up and up. I couldn't explain the feeling but the whole rush was exhilarating.

"You're loving this," Lupin said, glancing back at me.

"Yeah," I took a deep, cold breath. "It's—" I looked down, seeing how far we were from the ground. I hated heights but this sense of control, of being powerful, helped me. "It's amazing."

"Your dad used to be a Chaser in Quidditch," He said. "Do you know what that is?"

"Yeah, Harry explained it to me when he became a Seeker," I said. "Is flying always like this?"

"Somewhat," he said. "Maybe you'll be able to learn how to fly."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

)()()(

When we landed, a note was shoved into my hand.

The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London.

Then Harry was given it.

A battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, quickly followed by dirty walls and dozens of grimy windows.

"Cool," I said in awe of the show of Magic.

Harry and I were ushered forward. Lupin touched his wand to the door and tapped it once, making a series of loud metallic clicks and clacks of locks and chains come. The door opened with a deep, menacing creak.

"Get in quick, Harry, Viktoria," Lupin whispered. "But don't go far inside and don't touch anything."

I stepped in first, the darkness of the hall consuming me. Everyone else filed in after, closing the door.

Silver tutted and the old gas lamps sputtered to life, letting there be light against all of the walls. The wallpaper was peeling and the carpet needed to be redone. Dozens of portraits hung on the walls, crooked as a chandelier glimmered above us, cobwebs lining its curving metal.

He gestured me up the stairs but I stayed where I was, watching as the door at the end of the hall opened.

A portly woman came out, beaming as she hurried towards us. She gave Harry a big hug.

"Oh, Harry, it's lovely to see you!" She said in a low voice before examining him. "You're looking peaky; you need feeding up, but you'll have to wait a bit for dinner, I'm afraid… ah, this must be your sister."

I stepped back when she went to hug me.

"Yeah, don't touch me," I instantly said.

Her face dropped a little at that.

"Viktoria doesn't like to be touched," Harry explained. "She's weird about it."

"Oh, okay," She brightened up. "Let's get you both set up upstairs. Hermione and Ron are already there. You can wait with them until the meeting is over and then we'll have dinner."

Harry nodded and began to follow her up. I looked in Silver's direction, making it seem like I was just looking around when in fact I was looking for his approval.

I didn't like strangers.

He gestured and followed me as I went up the stairs.

The house was strange. There was something about it, something I couldn't quite put my finger on it. We continued up the large staircase, getting to the second landing before the woman, Mrs Weasley as Silver told me, showed us to a room. She left us there and Harry went to the room.

I stayed back, observing the landing before Harry pulled me into the room.

"Guys, meet Viktoria," He introduced me to the ginger boy and the wild-haired girl. "Viktoria, this is Ron and Hermione. I've told you all about them."

"Hi," I just raised a hand in greeting.

"Oh, it's so great to finally meet you," Hermione smiled. "Harry's only said good things about you."

I narrowed my eyes playfully at him, "You better have had."

"I'm sorry about the letters, Harry," She turned to him. "Are you all right? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless. But we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us about the Dementors. We heard about that and then the Ministry hearing. It is all rather outrageous. They can't expel you. I've looked it all up and—"

Ron interrupted, "Let him breathe, Hermione."

It already felt like I was out of the loop, fourth-wheeling in a place where I shouldn't have been in the first place. I looked away from them, letting them have their moment to catch up.

"Come on," Silver whispered to me before he disappeared up the stairs. I followed him up there, getting to the third landing before he nodded to a set of doors behind a pair of thick curtains.

I opened the door, revealing another bedroom. This one was much bigger than the one Harry was going to stay in. A huge four-post bed sat in one corner with a clean desk and drawers and wardrobe. It was coloured green and dark like the rest of the house. The bed even had snakes etched into the posts.

"My room?" I asked and he nodded.

"The house would prefer you stay here," He said. "It isn't proper for a young lady to share."

Fair enough. I didn't unpack just yet, just went to sit on the bed.

I was already bored.

It took a couple of minutes until I heard Harry scream at his friends.

Oh, boo hoo. So what he wasn't told of anything?

It wasn't like his life was flipped upside down because of a stupid Dementor.

At least he had friends who cared about him.

)()()(

When it came to dinner, I went downstairs and to the basement kitchen

It was a little less gloomy than upstairs with rough stone walls and most of the light came from the huge fire at the end of the room. Several chairs were crammed into the room, all scattered around the wooden table. People sat and stood around, waiting for dinner to start as the younger people were putting plates, bowls and cutlery on the table.

Harry gestured to the seat next to him, across from Sirius Black and a few others. I took it, sitting down but I was uncomfortable. People kept staring at me.

When the food came, I stayed silent. I wasn't asked any questions or had any comments go towards me. I just ate, shoving the meat away from the rest of my food on the plate.

"Eat everything," Mrs Weasley promptly said. "It's not polite to leave a plate full."

"I am eating everything," I said. "But I don't eat meat."

She tutted, "it's good for you. Eat it."

I gave her a blank look, silently asking her if she was being serious.

Then Harry pipped up, "She's never eaten meat."

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to," Sirius said softly to me, looking at me with a strange expression, like he was trying to figure me out.

"Sirius," Mrs Weasley said. "She's a guest. She should eat everything."

I scoffed quietly, muttering under my breath, "I'm not here willingly."

"Speak up,"

"I said," I raised my voice. "I'm not here willingly. I had no choice in coming. You're not my aunt and you're definitely not my mother. I think there are bigger problems than me not eating meat, like how Dementors attacked me and my brother. I'm not going to be polite about it. I don't want to be here and I don't want to be part of whatever this little makeshift family you've made."

I left the table.

Harry didn't follow me. Of course, he didn't.

Instead, Sirius did, following me up the stairs.

"Viktoria, please," He began. "We're trying to help you."

I stopped on whatever step I was on, taking a breath to calm myself before turning to him.

"Have you ever thought of the fact that I might not want your help?" I watched as his expression fell into something harder, something more stern. "You might be our Godfather but you never even tried to get in contact with me. It's all about Harry, about him and his powers."

His expression fell before it hardened into something.

"I have tried," He snapped. "I sent letter after letter, trying to get you to respond but you never wrote back. I even tried the bloody post to try to contact you. Harry said you wanted nothing to do with me, nothing to do with Magic."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I never got any letters, or owls, or anything. Harry sends me letters during the school year and summers when he's at the Burrows but I've never received anything from you."

"Have any letters from Remus arrived? He's tried to contact you too,"

I shook my head, "No, nothing. Nothing ever came for me."

"That's just… it's impossible," Sirius sighed, looking around to even fathom the idea of his letters never arriving. "I'll have to talk to Harry. It's late. Go to bed. I'll have a talk in the morning."

"Whatever," I stormed off.

I took a shower in the en-suite connected to my room before crawling into the bed. The duvet was thick and heavy over me, giving me a sense of comfort as Silver took a seat on the bed.

I sat up.

"What's even happening?" I asked.

He hummed, "Perhaps someone has been intercepting the letters. They did that to Harry so it makes sense for them to do the same to you."

"I'm not a security risk though. Yeah, I get Harry and this summer. There's shit going around and Dumbledore didn't want him to know but me?" I grumbled to myself. "What did I do? Why wouldn't my own Godfather be allowed to send me letters? He's been free for two years. And what's up with the assumption I have Magic?"

"Everyone has it but the gene is dormant in Muggles and Squibs," He said. "I sensed something in you when the Dementor came. A little spark. It was familiar enough that I could tell it was Magic."

I scrambled closer to him, "Wait. You're saying that I could actually have Magic? That I'm not a Squib?"

"Perhaps. I presume you'll get a letter from the Ministry tomorrow and they'll assess you," He placed a shackled hand on my shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "Go to sleep. It's been a long day."